Recent Press Releases

A majority of Riverside residents – as high as 67 percent – said they oppose legalizing marijuana dispensaries via a measure placed on the June 2 ballot by dispensary operators, according to a poll commissioned by the City of Riverside. Opposition to legalizing dispensaries grew as residents who were polled learned more about the measure. Read More...

Gary Geuss, a 26-year veteran of the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office who supervises legal operations for some of that city’s largest departments, including the Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles International Airport and the Department of Water and Power, has been named City Attorney in Riverside.
The Riverside City Council, which selected Geuss from six finalists, is scheduled to approve a contract with him at a City Council meeting on Tuesday. He is scheduled to start in Riverside on April 13. Read More...

Chris Christopoulos, who has extensive experience in the construction industry and local government, is the City of Riverside’s new Building Official. Christopoulos, who has spent the past nine years as Assistant Building Official in Bellflower, will begin work in the City of Riverside’s Building and Safety Division on March 2.
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After weeks of voting by communities from all over the country, the Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa has been named America’s Best Public Lights Display by the USA TODAY/10Best.com Readers’ Choice contest.
To get a glimpse of the magic, visit www.RiversideFestivalofLights.com
The full list of winners is available at: http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-public-lights-display/
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After weeks of voting by communities from all over the country, the Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa has been named America’s Best Public Lights Display by the USA TODAY/10Best.com Readers’ Choice contest.
To get a glimpse of the magic, visit www.RiversideFestivalofLights.com
The full list of winners is available at: http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-public-lights-display/
Read More...

The City of Riverside has concluded a nationwide search by selecting John A. Russo as Riverside’s next City Manager, citing his legislative and executive management experience as well as his commitment to fiscal responsibility, responsiveness and transparency. Russo, who has spent nearly four years as City Manager of Alameda, previously served as the City Attorney of Oakland for 11 years and was a City Council member there for five years prior to that. His 27 years in California’s legal and government communities give him an extensive professional network in both Sacramento and Washington, D.C.
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The second annual Grow Riverside conference, which unites farmers, restauranteurs, business people and others interested in developing the local food scene in Riverside, is scheduled for June 11-13. The event, entitled “The Future of Local Food,” will examine the economic and community benefits of local sustainable agriculture in an urban area. The City of Riverside is presenting the event at the Riverside Convention Center with Seedstock, its partner in organizing Grow Riverside.
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The Riverside area has been ranked 103 worldwide in economic performance by the Brookings Institution and JPMorgan Chase, which examined 300 areas around the globe that are home to 20 percent of the world’s population and jobs and almost half of the global gross domestic product. Read More...

Owners of historic properties in Riverside have an opportunity to apply for a grant for historic rehabilitation, restoration or other projects. The deadline for grant applications is 5 p.m. Feb. 26.
The Historic Preservation Fund Committee can award as much as $25,000. The City Council can authorize larger grants. Any individuals, corporations, non-profits and public agencies that own historic properties within the city limits of Riverside are eligible to apply.
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The City of Riverside released the following statement today in reference to concerns that have been expressed regarding the Sister City relationship with Can Tho, Vietnam:
"The City of Riverside respects all viewpoints and the rights of everyone to express themselves. Many diverse views were expressed and taken into account during the robust discussion that occurred in our city in March, 2014 prior to the vote to establish a Sister City relationship with Can Tho.
The Sister City relationship provides a venue for direct, person-to-person conversations on issues of mutual interest to people all over the world, including education, public health, technology and commerce. The City of Riverside, working with Riverside residents who brought forth the idea of this Sister City relationship, looks forward to further developing those bonds with the people of Can Tho." Read More...

The City of Riverside is concluding its agreement with a local law firm that has provided interim leadership of the City Attorney’s Office and will name a 13-year veteran of the Office to handle those duties until a full-time City Attorney is selected.
The City Council intends to name Kristi Smith, one of two Supervising Deputy City Attorneys in the office, as Interim City Attorney. Smith has been a Supervising Deputy City Attorney, the second-highest position in the office, since 2006. Read More...

Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey will deliver the 38th annual State of the City address at the Riverside Convention Center on Jan. 22. The address, Mayor Bailey’s third, will revolve around the theme of Exceeding Expectations Since 1883. The State of the City event, produced by the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce in partnership with the City of Riverside, recaps highlights from the prior year and provides Riverside residents and business owners with a preview of upcoming issues in 2015.
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Lee McDougal, who served as City Manager of Montclair for 18 years before retiring in 2010, has been named Interim City Manager in Riverside. McDougal started work today, shortly after the Riverside City Council approves his contract at a special meeting at 9 a.m.
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After weeks of voting by communities from all over the country, the Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa has been named America’s Best Public Lights Display by the USA TODAY/10Best.com Readers’ Choice contest.
To get a glimpse of the magic, visit www.RiversideFestivalofLights.com
The full list of winners is available at: http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-public-lights-display/
Read More...

The Riverside City Council’s annual celebration of Dec. 17 as the official Day of Inclusion for the City of Riverside will include an added feature this year. To further explore what inclusivity means for our communities, Mayor Rusty Bailey and members of the Mayor’s Multicultural Forum will convene a Reflective Celebration on Inclusivity at 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 17 on the Grier Pavilion on the 7th floor of City Hall, 3900 Main Street.
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Steve Badgett, a key member of the Riverside Public Utilities management team for nearly 15 years, has been named Interim Assistant City Manager for the City of Riverside, effective Dec. 22. Badgett will fill the role of Assistant City Manager Belinda Graham, who is retiring Dec. 25. Read More...

Nine Riverside residents who have made significant contributions to the Riverside community will be honored by the city’s Human Relations Commission at an awards ceremony Thursday, Nov. 13.
The 2014 Riverside Heroes Awards event is scheduled for 6 p.m. on the Grier Pavilion at City Hall, 3900 Main Street. In addition to recognizing this year’s Heroes, the event will feature a keynote address from Carlos Cortes, Professor Emeritus of History at UC Riverside.
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Author Karl Marlantes, whose New York Times best-selling memoir, "What It Is Like To Go To War," is the subject of the Riverside Reads 2014 campaign, will speak at 6 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium and Soldiers Memorial as part of Cal Humanities’ statewide initiative War Comes Home. Read More...

The City of Riverside’s Office of Economic Development is proud to support Shop Small Saturday with a series of events to help local small businesses prepare for the shopping event. To kick off Shop Small Month, the Office of Economic Development will be hosting a free presentation, "Debunking the Myths of Small Business," by author Michael Gerber, founder chairman and CEO of E-Myth Worldwide, in the City Council Chambers at City Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 5:30 p.m.
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The first of three lectures in Riverside focusing on healthy, sustainable living will examine genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. The lecture is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Cesar Chavez Community Center, 2060 University Avenue in Riverside. Read More...

The City of Riverside, which is dedicated to fostering a culture of health in area businesses by promoting health and wellness among employees, is hosting the Riverside Worksite Wellness Forum Nov. 6. The 8:30 a.m. event encouraging businesses to become a Fit-Friendly organization will be held in the Mayor’s Ceremonial Room at City Hall, 3900 Main Street.
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